Vegetable-cutter.



No. 677,473. Patented .Iuiy '2, mm. B. a. ROYAL.

VEGETABLE CUTTER.

(Application filed Oct. 8, 1900.,

(No Model.)

ihvrrnn STATES nrnrvr rricni RICHARD E. ROYAL, OF TELL CITY, INDIANA.

VEGETABLE-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,473, dated July 21901. Application filed October 8, 1900. Serial No. 32,425. (Nomodeld TooaZZ whom it 72mg concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD E. ROYAL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Tell City, in'the county of Perry and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Vegetable-Cutter, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates to vegetable cutters, and has for its object toprovide an improved device of this character which is especiallydesigned as a kraut-cutter, although it is capaole of cutting vegetablesof various kinds for feeding stock and for domestic purposes. It isfurthermore designed to facilitate the application of the vegetables tothe revolving knives, to discharge the cuttings in a simple andefficient manner, and to arrange for the convenient adjustment of theknife-blades without removing the latter from the device.

'With these and other objects in view the present invention consists inthe combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter morefully described, shown in the acoiupanying :ilrawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within thescope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse horizontal sectional viewtaken-just above the top of the supporting-frame of a vegetable-cutterconstructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention. Fig.2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken centrally through thedevice and at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig? is a vertical longitudinalsectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. l is detailsectional view illustrating the manner of adjusting one of theknife-blades.

Corresponding parts are designated by like characters of reference inall of the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that I provide asupporting-frame having the corner uprights or standards 1, which areconnected at their upper ends by means of the" opposite longitudinalbars 2 and the end longitudinal frame-bar 4 for the support of theknife-wheel.

The knife-wheel 5 is located between the frontand intermediatelongitudinal framebars and is carried at the end of a suitable shaft 6,the latter being journaled in bearing-boxes 7 and 8, provided upon theintermediate and rear longitudinal frame-bars, respectively. At the rearend of the shaft and upon the rear side of the frame there is provided agear-wheel 9, which is in mesh with a larger gear 10, which is carriedby a stubshaft 11, that is mounted in a suitable bearing 12, providedupon the upper side of the rear longitudinal frame-bar and adjacent toone endof the frame. A suitable operating cra-nk handle 13 is providedfor the mastergear 10, or the latter-may be operated by any suitablepower, as may be convenient or desired.

The knife-wheel is provided with a plurality of radial openings 14, andat the outer end of each opening the marginal edge of the wheel isthickened, as indicated at 15, which thickened portion is entirely uponthe front side of the wheel, so that'the rear side thereof is free fromprojections. At the rear side of each opening there is provided aknife-blade 16, which has its rear edge let into a notch in the rearface of the wheel and its front cutting edge 17 in alinement with thefront edge of the opening, which latter is entirely covered'by theknife-blade. As best indicated -in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, therear portion of the blade is secured to the wheel by means ofscrew-fastenings 18, which pass through the respective slots 19, whichextend in a direction transversely of the cutting edge of the blade.Each fastening passes entirely through the blade and engages a nut 20,let into a suitable recess in the opposite side of the wheel. By thismeans the blade may be adjusted laterally toward and away from the frontedge of the opening, so as to take up wear. To vary the thickness of theout of the knife, I provide an-adjusting set-screw 21, the head of whichis accessible from the outer side of the wheel, and its shank passesthrough the wheel and also a nut 22, let into the rear face of thewheel, the extremity of cross-bars 3, there also being an intermediate 1the screw bearing against the inner side of the blade at the frontcutting edge and adjacent to the end thereol,-so as to adjust theinclination or set of the blade with respect to the wheel. It will beobserved that the fastening devices and the adjusting device areaccessible from opposite sides of the wheel, the fastening devices fromthe rear side and the adjusting device from the front side.

A hopper 23 is located adjacent to the rear side of the wheel, extendsfor the entire length of the frame, and is supported upon the oppositetransverse end sills 24, whichfrest upon the respective end cross-bars 3of the frame, and is held against endwise displacement by means of therespective transverse cleats 25, secured to the upper sides of the endcrossbars, the meeting edges of the sills and the cleats being rabbeted,as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Each cleat is provided with aturn-button 26, which is designed to overlap the adjacent sill, andthereby hold the hopper against accidental displacement. The inner sideof the hopper is provided with a comparatively large semicircularopening 27, so that the contents of the hopper may be readily fed to theknife blades. Also the bottom portion of the outer side of the hopper isprovided with an opening to receive the shaft 6, and an arched hood 28extends inwardly from the opening, so as to form a cover therefor, andthereby prevent the contents of the hopper from dropping through saidopening. The open top of the hopper is provided with a lid or cover 29,which is hinged to the upper edge of the inner side of the hopper. Anarched metallic casing 30 is secured to the front side of the inner wallof the hopper, embraces the discharge-opening 27 of the hopper, andextends from one sill to the other, andaflat plate 31 is secured to theouter edge of the arch and completes the knife-wheel casing, so as toefieetively house the upper half of the wheel. A suitable stopprojection 32 is provided upon the top of the wheel-casing, so as tosupport the lid in its open position.

Located below and housing the lower half of the knife-wheel is ascoop-shaped metallic chute 33, the rear end of which is closed by meansof a segmental plate 3-1, while the front end is partly closed by meansof a segmental plate 35, having its upper edge hinged or pivoted betweenthe sides of the chute, so as to swing outwardly and upwardly, the lower'free edge being provided with a segmental recess 36. The opposite sidesof the chute are provided with the cleats 36, which fit snugly againstthe under sides of the respective end cross-bars 3 of the frame, and thelatterhave under stop-cleats 37 to bear against the outer longitudinaledges of the cleats 36:, and thereby prevent endwise displacement of thechute. Suitable turn-buttons 38 are provided upon the under sides of thestop sills or cleats and are designed to overlap the cleats 36,' andthereby suspend the chute upon the frame of the device.

In the operation the vegetables to be out are placed in the hopper, andthe knife-wheel 4 is turned by means of the master-gear and its'connections, whereby the knives successively travel across .thedischarge-opening of the hopper and cut the vegetables, the cuttingspassing forwardly through the openings in the wheel and being thendischarged through the chute. To force the vegetables against theknife-wheel, I employ a follower 39, in the form of a flat plate looselyresting upon the bottom of the hopper and having a .central segmentalopening in its lower edge to accommodate the hood 28, the upper end ofthe fo lower projecting above the top of the hopper and provided with ahand-opening 40 or other suitable handle to swing the plate toward thewheel. a

As best indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that thewheel-casing is wide enough to permit of the hopper being movedlaterally toward and away from the wheel, so as to prevent the latterfrom being choked and to accommodate the device to vegetables ofdifferent sizes. In order that this adjustment may be had, the sills 24are slidable endwise upon the end cross-bars 3 and the cleats 25, aswill be readily understood. Moreover, the manually-operated drivingmeans and the hopper are located upon one and the same side of theknife-wheel, so as to give convenient access to the hopper while theoperator is manipulating the driving means, and the chute is arranged todischarge beneath the knife-wheel and away from the driving means andthe operator.

\Vhat is claimed is- 1. In a vegetable-cutter, the combination with asupporting-frame, having transverse end cleats upon the top thereof, ofa knifewheel mounted hetweenthe cleats, a hopper having opposite endsills abutting against the respective cleats,-a wheel-casing carried bythe hopper and housing the upper half of the wheel, turn-buttons carriedby the cleats and overlapping the respective sills, and a chute housingthe lower half of the wheel.

2. In a vegetable-cutter, the combination with a supporting-frame, of aknife-wheel, a shaft therefor, means for turning the shaft, and a hoppersupported upon the frame at one side of the wheel, the inner side of thehopper having a discharge-opening adjacent to the wheel, and the outerside having an opening for the shaft, and a hood extending inwardly fromthe opening and arching over the shaft.

3. In a vegetable-cutter, the combination. of corner-uprights,longitudinal side bars, op posite end cross'bars, an intermediatelongitudinal bar, transverse end cleats upon the upper and lower sidesof the frame, 'a knifewheel located between the intermediate bar and oneof the side bars, a hopper located adj acent to one side of theknife-wheel and having a discharge-opening communicating with the wheel,opposite end sills abutting against the respective end cleats, a casingcarried by the hopper and housing the uppcrhalf of the wheel,turn-buttons carried by the cleats and overlapping the sills, and achute, havingexternal end cleats abutting against the under cleats ofthe frame, and turn-buttons carried by the latter cleats and overlappingthe cleats of the chute, the latter housing the lower half of theknife-Wheel. I 4. In a vegetable'cut-ter, the combination I with asupporting-frame, having opposite I transverse cleats, of a knife-Wheelmounted l between the cleats, and an adjust-able hopper, I

having opposite transverse end siils,which are longitudinally slidablymounted upon the transverse cleats, whereby the hopper is adjustabletoward-and away from the knifewheel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD E. ROYAL. Witnesses:

J .xnns lI. MILLs, Louis ZOERCHER.

